Tiger pass makes harsh Hatton criticism hypocritical

SUNDAY’S Hypocrisy Detector began to smoke then spit sparks.

For starters NBC’s golf crew scolded contender

Tyrell Hatton, a 26-yearold Brit, for petulant, brattish behavior after bad shots and putts. Good.

But Tiger Woods has similarly misbehaved over the past 20-plus years, yet such misconduct — tossing clubs, emitting vulgarities, acts impossible to not see or hear — was ei- ther ignored or explained and excused as admirable proof that “Tiger is a perfectionist, so determined.”

Perhaps Hatton’s behavior — his determination to be perfect — was inspired by years of watching Woods. Regardless, it was nauseating to hear NBCgo after this guy when all golf-partnered networks have for years played Sgt. Schultz with Woods.

Next came the Oscars. Predictably, these were heavy on speeches in trib- ute to women who have reported the sexual abuse and all types of sexual degradation that have come to a glaring spotlight, especially within the entertainment industry.

Many previously celebrated men, now flagrantly guilty, admittedly guilty, perhaps marginally guilty and perhaps innocent, have lost their reputations and careers to such accusations, including alleged and confirmed episodes that oc- curred 20 or more years ago.

Some accusers have claimed their accused paid them off, or tried to, in an attempt to “make it go away.”

And some stars, suddenly former stars, will never be eligible to be nominated, let alone win anything, again.

In 2003, Kobe Bryant was accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Bryant claimed the sex was consensual and publicly apologized to his wife.

Despite his declared innocence, Bryant reached a non-disclosure financial settlement with that young woman. He then returned to an NBA career that paid him tens of millions of dollars in annual salary and endorsements.

Sunday, when he was called to the stage to accept an Oscar for narrating an animated short, “Dear Basketball,” he was covered in applause and adulation. The hypocrisy was deafening.